Relics Discography

Relics is a compilation album by Pink Floyd released in 1971. The album was released on May 14 in the UK and July 15 in the United States. A re-mastered CD was released in 1996 with a different album cover; a three-dimensional version of the original sketch drawn by drummer Nick Mason for the initial release.

History
The release of Relics was sparked by the success of Atom Heart Mother which peaked at #1 on the British charts. The album has been released on numerous occasions, and at times without the proper authority. One such incident involved EMI Australia releasing the album without the band’s consent. This led to the LP being withdrawn and the album as a result became a rarity. A reissue of the album in 1996 meant that it could be purchased easily again.

Until the more definitive release of The Early Singles (1992), Relics was most noted for its inclusion of Syd Barrett-era hit singles, “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”, as well as B-sides to three other singles. It is notable that the Relics versions of “Paintbox”, “Julia Dream” and “Careful with That Axe, Eugene” are mixed in stereo. Relics has the only CD release of “Paintbox” that has the same length (3:33) that the original single version had; on the albums The Early Singles (1992), 1967: The First Three Singles (1997), and the 40th anniversary edition of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (2007), it fades out about 13 seconds later.

The album also includes a previously unreleased studio recording of a Roger Waters composition, “Biding My Time”, which had otherwise only been heard by live audiences as part of “The Man/The Journey” concert sequence.

Songs previously released on albums are identical to their album versions.

Relics reached #34 in the UK and #153 in the US. When re-released in the UK on March 9th, the album reached #48.

Track listing
“Arnold Layne” (Syd Barrett) ā€“ 2:56
Single A-side released March 11, 1967
Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
“Interstellar Overdrive” (Syd Barrett/Roger Waters/Rick Wright/Nick Mason) ā€“ 9:43
From The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 1967
Instrumental
“See Emily Play” (Syd Barrett) ā€“ 2:53
Single A-side released June 17, 1967
Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
“Remember a Day” (Rick Wright) ā€“ 4:29
From A Saucerful of Secrets 1968
Lead vocals: Rick Wright
“Paintbox” (Rick Wright) ā€“ 3:33
Single B-Side to “Apples and Oranges”, released November 18, 1967
Lead vocals: Rick Wright
“Julia Dream” (Roger Waters) ā€“ 2:37
Single B-Side to “It Would Be So Nice”, released April 13, 1968
Lead vocals: David Gilmour
“Careful with That Axe, Eugene” (David Gilmour/Roger Waters/Rick Wright/Nick Mason) ā€“ 5:45
Single B-Side to “Point Me at the Sky”, released December 7, 1968
Instrumental
“Cirrus Minor” (Roger Waters) ā€“ 5:18
From Soundtrack from the Film More 1969
Lead vocals: David Gilmour
“The Nile Song” (Roger Waters) ā€“ 3:25
From Soundtrack from the Film More 1969
Lead vocals: David Gilmour
“Biding My Time” (Roger Waters) ā€“ 5:18
Previously unreleased
Lead vocals: Roger Waters
“Bike” (Syd Barrett) ā€“ 3:21
From The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 1967
Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
The audio cassette release featured the songs in a different order.

Cover
The album cover was designed by drummer Nick Mason, and according to him is the only concrete product of his years at architecture school in the Regent Street Polytechnic.

When the album was released on CD, former Hipgnosis partner Storm Thorgerson had a real-life version of the contraption on the cover made and presented it to Mason. It still resides in Mason’s office. Both Thorgerson and his assistant, Peter Curzon, came up with the idea after viewing the head sculpture which had been constructed by John Robertson and which appeared on The Division Bell album sleeve.

In addition to variations on the original design, the album was released in several countries with completely different artwork (see illustrations at right). The four-eyed face on the original U.S. album cover was actually an antique bottle opener.